I looked into coaching for almost a year before I finally took the plunge.

I sat back and watched a few coaches online.

I researched about it here and there.

And, for the better part of a year, I pretty much convinced myself that I didn’t have what it took to make it work. I convinced myself like so many times before that SURE other people could do it, love it, and change their lives but that I couldn’t.

After all, I wasn’t a salesperson. I didn’t already have a “BEACH BODY.” I didn’t know enough people. I lived in a small, rural community. I didn’t feel like I could afford to use Shakeology. I didn’t wanna push products on my friends & family or anyone else for that matter. And, I wasn’t an expert in health or fitness.

Yep, I thought all those things and let those things hold me back.

But, wow, was I wrong about what coaching really was!

I finally started coaching in October of 2013 and I’ve never looked back! I started asking WHY NOT ME?

When I finally got over myself, I found I was so so wrong for that year before I joined the coaching sisterhood.

I found that…..

coaching isn’t about sales!

coaching isn’t about already having a transformation story OR having a beach body!

coaching isn’t about how many people you know.

coaching isn’t about where you live or how small your community is.

shakeology seemed like an expense in the beginning when I was only a client but when I became a coach myself, got the discount and started earning an income right away, not only have I covered my investment every month, it’s become a staple in my nutrition (AND my fam loves it, too! In fact, B just asked if I would make her fave choc/pb/banana as I’m typing this). It’s my healthiest meal of the day. AND, it’s actually ended up saving me money by not going out to eat as often and skipping a lot of the junk food I bought before I started using it.

while many of my friends and family have very much supported me in this, WHILE investing in their own health & fitness, I have by no means had to rely on them to make this work.

AND, above all, it TOTALLY changed my life!

Have you ever considered doing what I do? My upline is hosting a webinar tonight at 8 CST and it will be a great opportunity for you if you’re curious about what it means to be a coach and why we love it like we do! You can click on the images in this blog post and join the event on FB! If you check it out, you will find a link to the live video in the event page and I’d love to hear what you think! Why not you?? #jointhesisterhood

When I came across this quote on Pinterest, I thought it was the perfect theme for my first blog post back since being hacked! It’s been about a month since I’ve been able to post and publish and I’ve missed my little outlet!

First, here’s the quote I found and a pic taken by Amanda Magnuson during a Mother’s Day special. 🙂

And, now for my part…..

I’ve learned that it’s okay to fall down. What’s not okay is to stay down. And, it’s even OKAY to fall down over and over and over as long as you’re always willing to try and get up again. We learn more about ourselves (AND others) in our losses than we ever will in our wins.

I’ve learned that having a victim mentality only leaves you more….of a victim. It will leave you stuck. Take ownership of your own life. You don’t have to be a victim of your circumstances. Have you ever heard the saying, “Things don’t happen TO you they happen FOR you?” ~ Michael Hyatt #onpoint ~ Now, of course some of those things will be devastatingly sad and often tragic. But, it’s so true that how we get through life is how we face those things….how we come through the storm. Horrible things have and will continue to happen to all of us but we have a God to thank for letting us LOVE. If we didn’t have the gift and the ability to love, we would never know pain. And, if we never knew pain, we would never need belief and Faith. And, what does Julia Roberts say in Steel Magnolias….still one of my favorite lines in a movie like EVER ~ “I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”

I’ve learned that we should be more like kids and be persistent in asking for the things we want in life. When was the last time your kid only asked for something he or she wanted once?!?

I’ve learned that there are some cartoons I can tolerate more than others. Barbie and the Dreamhouse, YES. Peppa Pig, NO.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to ask for help, even if it makes you look silly. If you’re not willing to look silly from time to time, nothing great will EVER happen for you.

I’ve learned that being vulnerable is healing, even if it makes you look silly like I mentioned above…from time to time. I have no doubt I’ve make myself look silly since I started this blog and sharing my story. I’ve talked about binge and closet eating….about hiding food….about being a jealous person….about comparing myself to others…about being lost in my Faith….about bad habits….about starting different workout programs and not finishing….I could go on but I digress… 😉 But, I can also say that having someone reach out to me saying they’ve been in the same place before and can relate to something in my story and that it just helps to know they are not alone made everything worth me looking a little silly. I would rather look silly for a while and help myself and others heal in the process than to only show y’all my highlight reel.

I’ve learned that sometimes our joy is just broken and we don’t always know why or when it happened. And, that there aren’t always answers for it. AND, sometimes you can spend way too many precious moments that you’ll never get back looking for answers that don’t exist. Sometimes you just have to let it be. Sometimes you just have to let go so you can find your joy again. #letgoandletGod

I’ve learned that trying to please everyone but yourself will only leave you empty. Learning how and when to say no and when to say yes is the best service you can do for yourself. People will learn to respect you.

I’ve learned you’re never too old to change and to dream big. I’ve known this one for a few years now but this past year was the epitome of embracing this. As a coach, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s! Your age doesn’t define you! Just like the damn scale, it’s just a number. You’re only as old as you feel. I let it hold me back but I realized this year that although I wished I would’ve found coaching earlier in life and I wished I would’ve started my blog and written a book already, I probably was not ready to accept the opportunities. I had some learning and growing and coming into my own to do. And, I’ve been very busy doing that these past 3 years. We can play the whole woulda-shoulda-coulda-wish game OR we can just live for the day and keep pushing to live our lives by our own design….no matter if we’re in our 20s or our 80s!

I’ve learned that there is still really good, wholesome TV out there. #ThisIsUs #bestshowthisyear

I’ve learned that doing the best I can as a mom is GOOD enough! I’ll be straight up that there are many days I wake up and ask myself “How bad am I gonna screw her up today?” And, while it’s taken me over 6 years, I’m finally getting to the point where I’m okay with just doing the best I can. Some days I work too much at home. Some days I give in to her demands too much and too often. Some days I am short with her for no fault of her own. Some days I forget to sign her school binder until she’s getting ready to get out of the car at school. Some days I don’t make her go to church. And, some days (okay ALL the days), I buy the cupcakes (and the cookies). But, I just started to embrace the fact I’m a #hotmessmom. I stay the bath tub and read with a glass of wine too long sometimes. I hate baking so I buy the cupcakes. I let her eat popcorn in bed. And, she STILL drinks chocolate milk from a sippy at night and falls asleep to Netflix. And, here’s the deal….I probably just made myself look rather silly to a lot of you moms out there and that’s freaking OKAY. AND, quite possibly, I just made a LOT of you moms out there feel REALLY good about your parenting skills. #heyigotskillstoo but #youdoyou ~ ‘cuz you know what, if you’re the complete opposite of me on all those things, I would EMBRACE and ADMIRE you….because….again….#youdoyou #maybeyoucanshowmehow ~ These past few years are the first years in my life where I started to just be okay with being…..ME. I’m tired of apologizing to and for myself for just being…..ME….the hot mess that I am. And, I’m pretty sure despite all my craziness, B still knows I love her and that I would give anything to protect her.

I’ve learned that having depression and anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. I was dealing with it most of this year and unlike the two other times in my life when it was really bad, this time I had the courage to talk about….to ask for help. And, I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not been honest….with myself and others about it. One of my mentors has said you should wait until you’re through a storm to talk about it openly….and mostly because if you haven’t healed, it can be counter-productive for you and you’re also not at a stage to help anyone else maybe dealing with the same. It can also honestly just look like you’re complaining or playing the victim. But, since I’m coming through it, I feel like I want to share some of it in the hopes it can maybe help someone else. I made a lot of mistakes working my way through this time and if talking about it could help someone else, I’m all for it. And some of the #hotmessness above is in part a reflection of what was going on with me. It’s hard enough to think about what it does to you but to think of what it can do to those around you is heartbreaking. Now, don’t get me wrong ~ I’m a hot mess regardless. I own that shit. But, there are things that can make it worse if you’re me. I’m working on a separate blog post but I want to stress that if you’re fighting that fight and you haven’t told anyone, you don’t have to suffer in silence. You can overcome so much sooner and in more healthy of ways if you talk to a professional or ask someone for help. There’s no shame in it what-so-ever and I truly believe it should be talked about. It seems to be a taboo subject for many. I’m here to talk about it openly.

I’ve learned that my love of baseball caps and beanies knows no boundaries. And, I love the mystery of “Am I on day 1 of clean hair or day 4 of not-so-clean-hair? #givemeallyourdryshampoo

I’ve learned that doing one thing really well when it feels like you suck at everything else is OKAY. I was really good at working out this year as long as I wasn’t limited by a few minor injuries and being sick. I focused hard on that one good thing I tell ya! And, I think I owe a lot of my sanity to my fitness!!!

I’ve learned there is TOTALLY a difference between really good wine and box wine. #iknowright?!?!

I’ve learned I’m still a total kid when it comes to Christmas. While I don’t care about a hundred gifts anymore, opening a box full of things that were all TOTALLY me from my sister, a new pair of Nikes from Daryn, and a Fearless Dogearred necklace from my mom made me smile. It made me smile almost as much as seeing all the excitement and smiles that B had every morning with the dang Elf on the Shelf and with Santa and the Tooth Fairy BOTH on Christmas Eve. YES, girlfriend was visited by Santa AND the Tooth Fairy on the same night. #whatarethechances

So, there you have it. I will have more of what I learned this past year and other things about how excited I am for a new year coming soon. But, wanted to say HEY….so HEYyyyyyyyY! I’m back and I’m SUPER excited to just be….back.

We made a 3-hr one-way trek to a team building event yesterday morning and even though I didn’t get to stay for the live workout and dinner out, I’m so glad I was there to listen to 4 amazing women speak life into me. We have our “Super Saturday” event every quarter and it’s always a time to reconnect, get reinspired, learn and grow. I’ve missed the last two because of things that came up and I missed it so so much!

Everyone in the gym yesterday has had their lives forever changed because of coaching.

Stories of taking care of our families and those around us and how coaching and being surrounded by our team has helped us learn how to put ourselves at the top of the list so we can be better moms….wives….friends….women of God.

Stories of how coaching has given us the tools and the resources to overcome a lifetime of emotional eating and eating disorders. We need the accountability from our challenge groups just as much as the people who join us in them! And, we need the support of others to help us be strong and overcome.

Stories of how we learn to become leaders. We are not born leaders. We have grown with coaching and learn to lead with each other.

And, an awesome message from my coach, Valerie, on how many of us may be hot messes, we can turn our messes into our messages.

Thank you Team Hope for being there every day to help brighten my day!

And, then back home for a fun-filled evening with friends and KAT PERKINS! A couple here in our little community know her from years ago and asked her if she would be able to entertain for the Harvest Party they were hosted and she said YES! It was so much fun. Kat DJ’d karaoke and sang several songs herself…including THIS ONE…which is like one of my all-time faves and one that I listen to almost daily to remember to live fearless. I seriously had chillbumps! The first vid is the official on YouTube…and then there’s mine 🙂 #yeschillbumps

It was a fun night with lots of laughs, amazing singers, dancing, great food and company! Our little neck of the woods has some seriously talented singers….sadly SADLY I am not one of them. I wish so desperately I could sing but I better just stick to my car….when I’m alone. Even B doesn’t like it when I sing 😉

And, then church this morning, followed by a birthday party for one of B’s friend at the bowling alley! Lots more fun!…..AND I even got to have some CAKE! I haven’t had CAKE in forevs. It. Was. Delish. It was called rainbow blast!

B & the birthday girl 🙂

And, I caught her best one of the day 🙂
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Ahhhh, Saturday & Sunday you are my fave 🙂 And, you always go too fast! But, here’s to another week and a day closer to the start of my new program that releases tomorrow! It’s not too late to get in on our official team test group for this program! It’s gonna be off the hook!!! Let’s be the girls who decided TO GO FOR IT!!! You can fill out the app by going to this post or email me to connect to get more details! FUN FREE GIFTS for anyone who commits by 9 pm tomorrow night!!

As I sat drinking my morning coffee this morning and relishing the quiet of my favorite morning of the week, I realized in just 2 weeks at this time, I would be in Nashville with upwards of 25,000 other coaches….most of whom just got done sweating it out at the SUPER WORKOUT. YES, this is what the super workout looks like!!!

This year will be my 3rd Coach Summit. I’ve been to Vegas and to Nashville last year and so excited to go back to Music City again this year! It’s an amazing experience and I learn so much every year.

This was our Team Impact party last year!!

But, what’s ironic about what I learn at this “business conference” is that it’s not about learning how to SELL anything to anyone.

It’s about learning more about myself….about my Faith….about how to best HELP and INSPIRE others…..about how to provide HOPE to someone else….about reaching out a hand to someone who’s fought the same battles….about the value of teamwork…..about humanity and how there really is so much more good in this world than we often see….about living an above average life….a life by your own design!

I’ve been busy these past almost 3 years DREAMING BIG. I want to live a life by my own design. I want to sleep in with B…on a Tuesday in the middle of the summer! I want to take her swimming if it’s sunny and beautiful in the middle of the week! I want to have more time to write and have the words touch someone’s heart. I want to give to my church and charities that I’m passionate about. I want to have more time to volunteer. I don’t ever want to be that mom again with her daughter in Target holding her breath and praying that her debit card will go through. I don’t ever want to be that insecure girl again who thought everyone around her had an easier life.

I’ve had setbacks and struggles, yet when I struggled and I questioned myself the most, I KNEW quitting was never an option. I’m in this for life my friends!

Workshops and good food and team building!

Coaching has seen me through one of the hardest times in my life and I truly believe God brought me to it to bring me through it….because I’m not sure where I would be right now without it. I’m not sure where I would be without the community of #lifepushers I have found. We’re not a community of perfect people. But, we are a community of people who strive to live a more than average life. We reach for the stars! And, when we fall, we get back up and we reach for the next one….and the next one may be even further away than the one before. But, we keep on reaching. We keep on dreaming. One of my main missions in life now is to motivate, mentor and help people live a life beyond average.

This was on the jumbo-tron last year at Nissan Field and when I saw it, my heart skipped a beat. This. Is. Us. THIS is what I thank God for every day that he brought into my life!

I’ll leave you with this for a little inspiration….it’s something I’ve been asking myself every day.

Don’t ask how long it will take. Ask how far can I go.

ANDDDDDD, the bonus today! I’m doing a 5-day clean eating challenge starting Monday! If you want to do this with me, leave a comment on this post or email me at fitstrongpink@gmail.com! One of my friends lost 4.4 lbs! AND, it’s one of my coach’s amazing meal plans and it looks DELISH! Lots of summer grilling recipes in it!! YUMMO!

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love Chalene Johnson’s 30-Day Push.

I’m still working hard to become more organized and feel less stressed, but I can tell you without this program I would still be lost on how to follow through with goal setting and getting my daily task list accomplished.

I love having a list of goals for the year, all based upon a “Push Goal.” A Push Goal is the goal that is most important to you and one that your other goals should center around to help you achieve.

So, yes, the 30-Day Push has taught me to dream big and develop a plan on how to get there.

But, it’s also taught me how to plan my every day life. After all, success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Every morning I make a to-do list of 10 things. I do this at the same time every day on weekdays…and in all honesty the time varies on the weekends. These 10 things are things I need to get done and not more than I can do in a day. I don’t want to set myself up for failure. And, checking them off my list as I go is very satisfying. I don’t go in order ~ I just jot them down as I think of them and check them off as I’m able to complete them.

Here’s my to-do list for today!

1. Personal development ~ The Best Yes & 30-Day Push.

2. Get posts up in my challenge group, clean eating group, team page, graduate group and Biggest Loser results.

I’m going to be starting a 30-Day Push group again! You can email me at fitstrongpink@gmail.com if you’re interested!

In the meantime, I challenge you to try making a 10-item to-do list every day this week. Try it, see if you feel more organized and accomplished AND even better come back and share it here! I would love to hear if it helps you!

BUT, as summer comes to an end this year and I’m on a bikini mission, I also decided I wanted to first be on a skinny jeans mission.

I actually have several pairs of skinny jeans. And, I would really LOVE to rock them with a plain T or a short sweater.

So, I’m kicking off a 30-day Skinny Jeans challenge on September 15th.

And, I’m really gonna have fun with this one because I am revamping how I run groups and will be awarding great prizes in each 30 day group. There will extra challenges within the challenge to keep people EXTRA motivated. AND, for this challenge in particular, I’m including bonus fall fashion ideas that include a lot of….you guessed it….SKINNY JEANS!

I absolutely love running these groups and I can say without any hesitation that I get just as much out of it as anyone that joins with me as their coach. I’m literally humbled and inspired by the people I’m working with EVERY day. They push me. They make me laugh. They sometimes make my cry….the good cry.

So, if you’re out there thinking that you wanna rock skinny jeans with me this fall and want some extra motivation and accountability, you can reply on this post, email me at fitstrongpink@gmail, or check out my TeamBeachbody site here. Can’t wait to hear from YOU!

So, today was a really good day! I always like a good challenge, especially when I’m done…lol.

I honestly really liked the Refresh. I felt pretty rough the first day. By the end of the day that day, my head hurt so bad that it was actually making me nauseous. I’m not gonna lie that I almost got to the point where I was telling myself it wasn’t worth it, but then I realized that if I felt the way I did, my body definitely needed a detox! And, each day I felt better and better so I knew it wasn’t anything in the Refresh itself that made me feel that way.

I want to post these pics about as bad as I want a root canal, but I think they really show the potential of this quick reset. (I didn’t wear the same thing for three days btw…just for the pics…maybe that went without saying…lol.) I’ve talked before about how bad I can bloat and my before pic pretty much looks like I have a food baby. But, the good news for me is that I lost 2-1/2″ in my abs in these three days and 8″ overall, plus 4.6 lbs. So, yeah, I’m excited about my results…no doubt…but I’m way more excited about how I feel! And, even if most of it is water weight, I feel light, I feel way more energetic, and I feel like I’m back on track with my nutrition thanks to it!

So, now I just have to say that I LOVE the image at the top. I’ve been losing ground lately in my health & fitness journey. And, there are several things I’ve been focusing on to turn my setback into a comeback….and the Refresh was just one of them….but that’s just it….I will have setbacks. But, they won’t result in me giving up on my goals. Not anymore.

I’ve loved this quote in my collage since the first time I saw it. I was off track. No lie. But the thing I like best about the “new me” is that my setbacks lasted a helluva lot longer before. There is always time to turn things around….always.

So…..I will say that I’m anxious to be done but that I will definitely be pulling this little gem of program out of the hat every few months or before big events….like already thinking this will come in handy just before Cancun!

But, yes, right now I’m anxious for almond milk in my Shakeo, and things like greek yogurt and eggs and a spaghetti squash boat with ground turkey and tomatoes and mushrooms and onions and just a dusting of 2% cheese….ok, yes, I’m dreaming of food a little tonight as I type. I may not have had food on the brain had my husband not had pizza in front of me tonight. And, I probably could’ve picked a better night to be perusing Pinterest for recipe ideas. Either way, I think I can safely say that I made it thru and it went really well!

It still was by no means “easy” today….and I’m still awake so bad things could still happen…lol…but my headache was much better and I wasn’t wanting to stuff my face with twinkies all day.

The Vanilla Fresh shakes are really filling and I really like the taste ~ And, my bloating is way better today.

I’m anxious for Thursday morning! I have lost a little over 3 so far, and I’ve been fluctuating between 5 & 7 lbs. more than my pre-Summit weight ~ so, I’m determined to get it off and start moving back in the right direction! I honestly don’t live and die by the scale anymore….but I DO weigh in once a week and am always mindful of that number…especially when it starts creeping up! And, I think my body is still adjusting to less working out.

On that note, I am SUPER glad I’m doing PiYO right now because I’ve still been able to work out just fine during this! Sweat in the morning!

Thanks for checking in on me! Recap of Day 3 will be up tomorrow night and final review Thursday night!….and maybe even a YouTube video.

Ok….so not gonna lie….today has been rough. There is NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that my body is detoxing with Day 1 of the Refresh.

I was well aware of the challenges going into this ~ 3 days of eating a reduced-calorie diet, 3 days of eating vegan, 3 days without whole grains, and 3 days without caffeine.

So, why would I still want to do it?

Because I really have needed a reset. I’ve been struggling with my nutrition since I was in Vegas in June and actually bought this kit down there and had intended on starting it right away when I got back. And….then….I started making a BUNCH of different excuses to put it off. Birthdays….weekends and BBQs….golf….fishing. I finally told myself that there will ALWAYS be something that’s coming up this summer and if I really wanted to get back on track and kickstart my focus on nutrition, I had something at my fingertips to do just that.

I felt pretty good this a.m. after my Shakeology (with water mind you…and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my shakes with almond or coconut milk…so I was kinda nervous about that!) and my Fiber Sweep (I knew to drink this as fast as possible before it sets up). But, it didn’t take long after for my caffeine withdrawal symptoms to kick in. I’m sure some of my headache was also sugar withdrawals from the weekend, but, I honestly only drink coffee with flavored creamer.

(OK OFF TOPIC NOTICE ~ Here is my fav creamer these days but my advice would be to NOT try it…lol! I talk myself into creamer being okay because I usually only have a cup or 2 of coffee a day and I try hard in other areas to eat clean but I know I’m only kidding myself.)

It’s recommended to not drink coffee during the Refresh but if you do its even more recommended to have it black with only stevia if needed.

This is my half-smiling face after dinner tonight….which was the Vanilla Fresh Shake and fresh green beans with EVOO, garlic and lemon-squeezed juice. I totally could’ve eaten a 5-course meal tonight BUT I honestly already feel “lighter.”

I usually try to close my kitchen after dinner but it doesn’t always work. It’s working tonight! Even if I have go to bed at 8!!!

Tune in tomorrow night for a Day 2 recap!

Just a girl in love with Faith, family, fitness, food, fashion & fun ~ who is chasing her dreams & living her purpose fearlessly! #girlboss #bebrave #breakthemold #LYPRead More...